Aug 08, Colombo: A Wildlife Incident Support Team (WIST) has been deployed to Sri Lanka by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) to help the country combat the rising incidents of poaching in the country.

Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), John E. Scanlon has been quoted in the media as saying that the deployment in Sri Lanka by Interpol demonstrates the hands-on support that is now being offered through ICCWC.

"Large illegal shipments of ivory, such as the one seized in Sri Lanka, are often an indicator suggesting that organized crime groups are involved. It is imperative that follow-up investigations and prosecutions, especially targeted at the 'king pins' behind organized criminal syndicates, are conducted. The effective use of all available resources in the investigation of transnational organized wildlife crime, including through the use of wildlife forensics, is crucial," he has said.

The WIST is to assemble and provide the world's best resources to the country that faces a growing tide of wildlife related crimes and will provide forensic support to Sri Lankan authorities who recently intercepted a cargo of 359 elephant tusks near Colombo.